spouse markes of the place where he dwells she saith Least I be as hidden amougst the flockes of thy competitors that is to saie saith saint AVGVSTINE of those that being in the beginninge with thee would assemble without not thy flocke but theire stocks For what is this but to saie that the Church demaundes marks of her spouse not to be discerned from all kinde of things but to be discerned only from the societie of heretickes which beare by false markes the name of Christ and the title of Churches And secondly it is not necessary that the markes in parte that is to saie those that taken separatlie haue not the entire office of markes may not be found euery one a parte without the thing marked but that the thing may not be found without euery one of them nor they taken iointly and altogether without the thing whose marke they are And therefor the argument of the markes in parte separated is good to argue negatiuely and to saie with sainct Austine against the Donatistes The Church hath this most certaine marke that she cannot be hidden she is then knowne to all nations the sect of Donatus is vnknowne to manie nations then that is not she Or with saint IEROM against the Luciferians Hilarius being dead a deacon he could ordaine no Priest after him now that is noe Church that hath noe Priestes or with the same saint AVGVSTINE against all heresies in generall euerie heresie that sitts in corners is a concubine and no matron But the argument of the markes in part taken iointlie is good to argue both negatiuely and affirmatiuely and to conclude with saint AVGVSTINE Suppose then that I omitt this wisedome that you denie to be in the Catholicke Church there are many other thinges that retaine me most iustlie in her lappe The consent of people and nations retaines me The authoritie begun by miracles nourished by hope increased by charitie confirmed by antiquitie retaines me The Succession of Prelates since the sea of Peter to whom or Lord consigned the feeding of his sheepe after his resurrection to the present Bishops Sea retaines me and finallie the very name of Catholicke retaines me which not without cause this Church alone amongst soe manie and soe great heresies hath so maintained as when a stranger askes where they assemble to comunicate in the Catholicke Church there is no hereticke tha dare shew him his owne temple or his owne howse From what places of the voice of the sheepeheard the markes of the Church ought to be taken CHAPTER VI. The continuance of the Kinges answere The king hath learnt from the reading of the holie Scripture and all the Fathers heretofore none excepted held noe otherwise that the true and essentiall forme of the Church is that the sheepe of Christ doe heare the voice of theire pastor THE REPLIE To heare the voice of the Pastor is the office of the sheepe but not the essentiall forme either of the Church or of the sheepe For the essentiall forme of the Church I meane essentiall forme analogically as that of the supposts constituted by aggregation is vnitie in the meanes of vocation to saluation and the essentiall forme of the flocke is the communion and participation to this vnitie The name of Church saith saint CHRISOSTOM is a name of agreement and vnion And saint AVGVSTINE God is one the Church is vnitie nothing agreeth with this one ' but vnitie But if the essentiall forme of the flocke were to heare the voice of the Pastor doth not he heare the voice of the Pastor that heares her voice of whom the Pastor said by the mouth of Esay Thou shalt iudge euerie tongue that resisteth thee in Iudgement And by his owne mouth The gates of Hell shall not preuaile against her And whosoeuer heares her not shall be held as a heathen and a Publican And by the mouth of saint PAVL He hath placed in the Church Apostles Prophets Euangelists Pastors and Doctors c. that we may no more be little children fleeting and wauering with euerie wind of Doctrine And doth not saint AVGVSTINE cry out The truth of Scripture is held by vs when we doe that which pleaseth the vniuersall Church whom the authoritie of the same scriptures recommends And againe There are manie thinges that the vniuersall Church obserueth and which therefore are lawfullie belieued to haue bene deliuered by tradition of the Apostles although we finde them not written And then againe to heare the voice of the Pastor is it not to heare it according to true vnderstanding for doth not TERTVLLIAN pronounce An adulterate glosse doth as much outrage to the truth as a false penne And doth not Saint Hilarie saie The heresie is in the vnderstanding and not in the Scripture the sense and not the word becomes the crime And doth not saint Ierome write The Ghospell is not in the words but in the sense And doth not saint AVGVSTINE cty out All the heretickes which receiue the scriptures thincke to follow them when they follow theire owne errors And in an other place Heretickes were no heretickes but that misvnderstanding the Scripture they defend obstinately theire owne false opinions against the truth thereof And againe Manie things are spoken by Christ in the Scriptures in such a manner as the impions Spirits of heretickes who will needs teach before they are taught are thereby lead into error And vpon saint Iohn The heresies and peruerse doctrines which intangle Soules and cast them headlong into hell haue theire birth no where but from good Scriptures euilly vnderstood And so is not the question still to whom it belongs to iudge infalliblie of the true sense of the Scripture Moreouer the first voice of the shepheard that the Fathers summond the sheepe to heare is it not that whereby he designes the markes of his Sheepefolde that is of his Church I haue said saint AVGVSTINE the most manifest voice of my pastor who recommends and expresses to me his Church without anie ambigiutie I must blame myself if for the wordes of men I straie from his floke which is the Church since principallie he admonishes me saying My sheepe heare my voyce Now which is this voice of the pastor wherein Saint AVGVSTINE will haue vs seeke for the markes of the Church but that wich expresses not the doctrine contested betweene him and his aduersaries which was that of the truth of the baptisme giuen by hereticks but the prerogatiues of eminencie perpetuitie vniuersalitie and other externall and sensible markes and conditions promised to the Church If the holie Scriptures saith saint AVGVSTINE haue designed the 〈◊〉 only in Africa and in a little medly of men dwelling in the rockes and Mountaines neere Rome and in the howse and territorie of a spanish Ladie though whatsoeuer other pamphlets may be produced there are none but the Donatists that haue the Church if the
LEO the Learned that the legates of Rome and of the westerne Church staied longe ere they came had cast vpon saint Chrisostom Archbishop of Constantinople the tragedie that was begun for Theophilus and had caused him to be deposed by a councell of Bishops assembled at Constantinople vnder Theophilus Patriark of Alexandria did this deuine Prelate haue recourse by letters of Appeale to the Pope Vouchsafe saith this sacred goulden pen writing to Pope Innocent the first to commaund that these things so wickedly done and we absent and not refusing iudgement may be of noe value as in truth they are not and that they that haue carried themselues so 〈◊〉 may be submitted to the punishment of the Ecclesiasticall lawes For to thinke to auoide these wordes by saying faint Chrisostome speakes in plurall termes in his letter as writing to manie Who knowes not that it was a common custome with the Easterne authors and communicated by deriuation to those of the west when they would honor or gratifie him to whom they write to speake in the plurall number to signifie that they consider him as hauing in him the authority of many And this in imitation of the Syrians who to expresse master or Lord called it Rabbi which signifies many that is to saie contayning in him the authoritie of manie God saith EVSEBIVS Archbishop of Milan in his Epistle addressed only to Pope LEO hath constituted yee Prelates of the Apostolicke sea worthie protectors of his worship And the Bishops of Siria writing only to the Emperor Iustinian The Lord preserue yee deuout zealous and guardians of the faith And the bishops of the councell of Mopsuestia a cittie of Asia in an Epistle to Pope Vigilius alone It was verie reasonable ô yee most holie since yee holde the first dignitie of priesthood that those things which concerne the state of the holie Curches should be represented to your deuinely honored Blessednesse And the Pope saint GREGORIE in the Epistle addressed to Cyriacus Patriarke of Constantinople alone to congratulate with him for his promotion In this most blessed Brethren yee are stronge that mistrusting your owne strength yee trust in the power of God Iointly that although the actes of the Popes were often dispatched in their name alone neuerthelesse they were framed with the consent of the neighbour Bishops which were at their Synodes and consistories As Pope Julius testifies to the Arrians in these wordes Although it be I alone that haue written yet I haue not onely written myne owne opinion but that of all the Bishops of Italie and of these partes And therefore not onely the inscription of saint Chrysostomes Epistle is singular and directed to the Pope alone but also Palladius and Photius cite it as addressed to the Pope alone And to hope also to auoide these wordes by saying that in the end not of the copie which is in saint Chrisostomes workes but in that which is recited by Palladius saint Chrisostome adds that he hath written the same things to Venerius Bishop of Milan and to Chromatius Bishop of Aquilea it is a vaine and friuolous hope For he intendes the same things in regarde of the reporte of the historie but not that in anie of his other letters he vseth anie of those formes of Appeale Vouchsafe to commaund that these things done against vs may be inualid and that those which haue done them may be submitted to the punishment of the Ecclesiasticall Canons And againe Of one thing I beseeche your watchfull minde that although those that haue filled all with trouhles be sicke of an impenitent and incurable disease if yet they will remedie these things that then they may not be punisht nor interdicted More vaine were it to hope to auoide them by saying that saint CHRISOSTOM before he was condemned had appealed to a generall councell and that then after his condemnation he could not appeale to the Pope For what inconuenience were it that saint 〈◊〉 before his condemnation to staie the furie of those that were to be his Iudges and his aduersaries together appealed to a generall councell which he knew could not be held without the assistance of the Pope or his Legates and that after his condemnation seeing this refuge had failed him and that all hope of a generall councell was taken 〈◊〉 because the Emperor and Empresse of the East against whose wills it could not be celebrated had declared themselues his 〈◊〉 he appealed to the Pope And to add that the Pope also stroue to cause a generall councell to be held and then the appeale had not 〈◊〉 to him wat incompatibilitie was there that the appeale should deuolue to the Pope and that the Pope should iudge of the validitie of the appeale and should ordaine that the first iudgement should be disannulled and things by prouision sett in the same estate they were before and that to search it to the bottom to cleere it with the satisfaction of all the Prouinces and to hinder a schisme betweene the two Empires he desired it night be iudged definitiuely in a generall councell The rule of the 〈◊〉 of Sardica vpon the matter of Appeales which is that that 〈◊〉 and Zozomene teache vs Pope INNOCENT followed in this case did it not cast two things vpon the Pope after the interiected 〈◊〉 the one to iudge whether the reason of the appeale seemed to him lawfull and in case he found it lawfull to annull the sentence and to remitt by way of intire restitution the parties in such estate as they were before The other after he had 〈◊〉 the first sentence to ordaine a new iudgement should be proceeded to and to name iudges to that effect either taken from the neighbouring Prouinces or sent from Rome to iudge the cause with the Bishops of the neighbour-prouinces Now doth not Palladius that Photius calls a worthie and a diligent writer of the history of saint CHRISOSEOME witnesse that the Pope did when he saith INNOCENT haueing receiued both parties to his communion determined that the iudgement of Theophilus should be abrogated and annulled saying they should hold another Synod vnreprouable of the Prelates of the west and east And doth not the successe of the history teach vs that saint CHRISOSTOM remained absolued vpon the Popes single sentence without anie 〈◊〉 councell to followe it And Pope GELASIVS an author of the same age doth not he confirme this when he writes a Synod of prelates yea 〈◊〉 hauing condemned Iohn of Constantinople euen the sea Apostolicke alone 〈◊〉 it consented not to it absolued him And why then when saint CHRISOSTOME was dead did George Patriarke of Alexandria an author of one thousand yeares antiquity and cited by saint DAMASCENE and 〈◊〉 Patriarke of Constantinople and printed in Greeke in England with the greek wordes of saint CHRISOSTOME and followed by Cedrenus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Harmenopolus And other Greekes write
man that is to saie a veritable man and then that a Church leaues not to be truly a Church although she be not a true Church it is a Sophisme of the truth of the essence to the truth of the word and of the word verus to the word Verax there being none so young a scholler but knowes that to speake vniuocallie whosoeuer is truly a man is a true man for as much as being and truth are conuertible from whence it is that sainct AMBROSE vseth these wordes true Israelite and trulie Israelite as termes equiualent And that sainct AVGVSTINE saith Euerie soule is by that a soule by which it is a true soule And therefore as the Fathers affirme that there is none but the Catholicke Church that is a true Church From thence saith sainct AVGVSTINE it appeares that the true Church is concealed from noe bodie Soe they also saie that there is none but the Catholicke Church that is truly a Church If you did teach saith sainct AVGVSTINE to the Manichees that mariage were good but virginitie better as doth the Church which is trulie the Church of Christ the bolie Ghost had not predesigned you And whereas it is replied that a man for being lesse or more sound leaues not to be a man and soe that a Church for being lesse or more pure leaues not to be a Church it is an other manifest Sophisme for health is not the essentiall forme of a man nor sicknes the priuation of the essentiall forme of a man but an accident which consequentlie may receaue more and lesse whereas puritie of faith according to his maiesties owne confession is the essentiall forme of the Church and the impuritie of Faith the priuation of the essentiall forme of the Church By meanes whereof noe Societie can hold among the conditions of her Communion and doctrine impure in Faith and contrarie to saluation but shee looseth at the same time the being and title of a Church And therefore the diuersitie of the communions whereinto the Church was deuided when Luther rose must not be alleadged for a pretence to be ignorant where the true Church then was For since the Church ought to be perpetually visible and eminent and that then there were noe Christiā communions visible in the world but ours that of the Grecians vnder which are cōprehended the Muscouites the Antiochians that of the Egiptians Ethiopians which is but one that of the Armenians that of the Nestorians that it is of the essence of the necessirie of the Church that she should be pure and impolluted in faith and that all those others by the common confession of vs and of the Protestants are heretickes and corrupt it is not needefull to goe to Delphus to learne that either the Church was perished which as wee haue aboue shewed could not be or that it was our communion which was the Church Of the qualitie wherein the Catholick Church attributes to herself the name of the whole CHAP. VIII The continuance of the Kings answere AND therefore the most excellent King is much amazed when hee sees the Churches which haue bene members of the whole Bodie drawe to themselues all the right of vniniuersalitie THE REPLIE IT hath alreadie bene aboue shewed that by the Catholicke Church the Fathers neuer intended the Masse and totall conclusion of the multitude of Christians but a speciall societie distinct from the beleefe and from the communion of all hereticall and schismaticall sects and which in regard of the Masse and generall confusion of all the multitude of Christians held actuallie but the place of a part and held only the place of the whole actuallie in regard of the particular Churches which were comprehended in deede in her communiō For there was neuer anie age since the apostles built the church but there haue bene some heretickes which haue gone forth from the Bodie of the Church neuerthelesse making profession of the name of Christ They haue gone forth from vs saith S IOHN but they were not of vs. And S. IVDE Cursed bee they for they perish in the contradiction of Chore people which separated them selues men animalls hauiug not spiritt And S. AVGVSTINE All hereticks and Schismaticks are gone forth from vs that 〈◊〉 to saie saith hee are gone sorth of the Church But amongst this difference of societies making profession of Christian Religion there was alwaies one more eminent in multitude then the rest which hath alwaies remained in her stocke and roote and from whence all the rest are gone forth to whom also the name of Catholicke nath bene preserued not because she held actuallie the place of whole in regard of the rest but onlie of all habituallie as the stocke in regard of the boughes which haue bene pluckt off for as much as in all the separations she remained in the same estate wherein all the Bodie was before the separation and consequentlie hath iustlie inherited the name of totall Church and succeeded onelie in the right and application of the whole as being she alone that represents it The Church saith S. AVGVSTINE Combating against all heresies may be resisted but she cannot be ouerthrowne all heresies are gone forth from her as vnprofitable branches cutt off from their vine but she remaines in her roote in her vine in her charitie the gates of hell shall not preuaile against her Which amazeth me that is maiestie should be amazed that the Churches which haue heretofore bene members of the whole Bodie should drawe to themselues all the Right of the vniuersalitie For the word Catholicke was neuer common to all Christians but onely to a part of Christians to witt to that wherein there remained the actuall totalitie of that which rested in the iust possession of the title of the Church and which in regard of the partes separated retained noe more the effect but only the right of the whole as representing her that before each separation was the whole And therefore so farr was S. AVGVSTINE from extending the totalitie of the Catholicke Church to the multitude of all the sectes of Christians as contrariwise after hauing reported the opinions of the eightie eight heresies he adds What the Catholicke Church holdes against all these thinges is a superfluous demaund since it is sufficient for to knowe that she holdes the contrary to these thinges And a while after There may also be or be made other heresies besides these which are reported in this worke of ours whereof who shall holde anie one shall be noe Catholick Christiā And elsewhere The Catholick and the heretick are deuided the one against the other And againe They cannot beginn to be Catholick till they haue left to be hereticke And therefore when the hereticall Sects separate themselues from the Catholicke Church and deuide themselues from the part that consents not to heresie they hinder not the title os Catholicke nor the Right of vniuersalitie from being preserued in her
in as high fame As was the first inuentour of the same Nor can your worke bee any whit disgrac't By those who think it done with too much 〈◊〉 For had it beene in Michaell Angells power To perfect his great iudgment in one hower Hee who for that should valew it the lesse His owne weake iudgment would therein expresse And though wee in a common Prouerb fay That Rome was not built all vp in one day Yet could wee see a Citty great as Rome In all her 〈◊〉 in one minute come To such perfection wee might more expresse Our wonders and not make the glory lesse So I conclude with modest truth and dare All their free Censures who can but compare And whosoere shall try may spend his Age Ere in your whole work hee shall mend one Page A TABLE OF THE TITLES AND SVMMARIES OF THE CHAPTERS CONTAYNED IN THESE FOWER FIRST BOOKES OF THE REPLIE TO THE MOST EXCELLENT KING OF GREAT BRITAINE THE FIRST BOOKE CHAP. I. OF the vse of the word Cathòlicke fol. 13. II. Of the conditions of the Catholicke Church 17 III. Of the proceeding of the fathers for the preseruation of the vnitie of the Church 21 IV. Of the necessitie of communicating with the Catholicke Church 23 V. Of the markes of the Church 25 VI From what places of the voyce of the Shepheard the markes of the Church ought to be taken 32 VII Of the examples which we haue from the practise of the Apostles 35 VIII Of the definition of the Church and in what vnion it consists 36 IX Of the vnion of the predestinate and by way of adiunction of the visibilitie or inuisibilitie of the Church 39 X. Of the vnitie of eternall faith 48 XI Of other inuisible vnions 51 XII Of the knowledge that the Predestinate haue of their predestination 52 XIII Of the inequalitie of these two phrases to communicate with the Catholick Church and to communicate with some member of the Church departing from the rule of faith 55 XIV How to vnderstand the words of S. Gregory NazianZene there is a sacred warre 57 XV. Of the pretended precepts to goe forth from the visible communion of the Church 58 XVI Of the consequence of the places alledged by the Fathers for the authoritie of the Catholick Church 68 XUII. Of the distinction of the heretickes and schismatickes 69 XVIII Of the agreement of the auncient Catholicke Church with the moderne 70 XIX Of the conformitie or inconformitie of the sence wherein the word Catholick hath been common to the auncient Catholick Church and to the moderne 74 XX Of the comparison of the Church with the citie built vpon a mountaine 76 XXI Of the conformitie or inconformitie of the Donatists and Protestants in the question of the Church 77 XXII Of the extent of the ancient Catholick Church and the moderne 78 78 XXIII Of the communion that the Bishops of the East had by letters with those of the west 79 XXIV Of these words of the constitution of S. Clement the vniuersall Episcopate is committed to Bishops 80 XXV Of the comparison of the Pope with other Bishops 81 XXVI Of formed letters 113 XXVII Of pretended excommunications attempted against the Pope 116 THE SECOND BOOKE CHAP. I. OF Councells 125 II. Of the effect of Councells for the visibilitie of the Church 127 III. Of the comparison of the Pope with the other Patriarkes 128 IV. Of the difficulties of Scripture concerning the time of S. Peters 〈◊〉 at Antioch and at Rome 137 V. Of the Canon of the Councell of Nicea touching the gouernment of the Patriarches 147 VI. Of the addition of the word Churches suburbicarie made by Ruffinus in the Latine translation of the Councell of Nicea 161 VII Of the claime of the Bishops of Constantinople 178 VIII Of the order of sitting in the Councell of Nicea 204 IX Of the order of the sittings in the first Councell of Ephesus 217 X. Of the order of the sittings in the second Councell of Ephesus 219 XI Of the order of sittings in the Councell of Calcedon 220 XII Of the order of the sittings of the fifth Councell of Constantinople 222 XIII Of the order of sitting in the sixt Councell of Carthage 229 XIV Of the order of the sittings in the Councell of Aquilea 231 XV. Of the calling of Councells 232 THE THIRD BOOKE CHAP. I. OF Appeales 244 II. Of the opposition of sainct Ireneus to Pope Uictor 249 III. Of the opposition of S. Cyprian 251 IV. Of the commission of the Emperor Constantine the great for the iudgment of Cecilianus Archbishop of Carthage 264 V. Of the decree of the Mileuitan Councell concerning the beyond-sea Appeales 273 VI. Of the order and distinction of the Councell of Carthage 281 VII Of the African Councell 309 VIII Whether the Latine edition of the African Canons be more faithfull then the Greeke rapsodie 315 IX Of the difficultie touching the Epistles that are at the end of the African Councell 326 X. Of the question of Appeales treated off in the sixt Councell of Carthage 329 XI Of the Councell of Sardica 348 THE FOVRTH BOOKE CHAP. I. THE Estate of the Easterne Church 376 II. What the deuision of the Empire hath wrought to the diuision of the Church 378 III. Of the interpretation of those words Thou art Peter and vppon this Rock I will build my Church 379 IV. Of the indiuisibilitie of the Church 398 U. Of the effect that diuision brings to the Church 399 VI. Of the pretended corruption of the Church 400 VII Of the exclusiō of hereticks frō the bodie of the Catholick Church 402 VIII Of the qualitie wherein the Catholicke Church attributes to herself the name of whole 410 IX Of the sence where in the Roman Church is called Catholick 411 X. Of the causes wherefore the Roman Church hath cutt off the rest from her communion 413 XI Of the sence wherein the Hereticks belong not to the Catholick Church ibid. XII Of the proceeding of other sects 414 XIII Of the perswasion that other sects pretend to haue of the truth of their Church by scriptures ibid. XIV Of the sence wherein Hereticks haue disputed the word Catholicke 415 XV. Of the cases wherein the communion in vow with the Catholick Church may be imputed as actuall 417 XVI Of the equiuocation of termes diminutiues imployed for negatiues 419 XVII Of the authoritie of the worke iutituled imperfect 422 XVIII Of the vnderstanding of these words of sainct Augustine To seeke the Church in the words of Christ. 423 XIX Of the vnderstanding of the words of sainct Chrisostome in the thirtie third Homelie vpon the Acts. 427 XX. Of the rules to iudge admitted by sainct Chrysostome and sainct Augustine 429 XXI Of the application of the Thesis of this obseruation to his Hipothesis 430 XXII Of the personall succession of the Bishops 431 XXIII Of the succession of doctrine 434 XXIV Of the holding of a Councell 436 XXV Of the reduction of the disputation to
Epithete to distinguish the Christian Church from her for as the starr that the authors call Lucifer although it be the same with that that is called Vesper yet when it goes before the Sonne it beares one name and when it followes him it hath an other soe although the Iewish congregation hath bene in some sorte one same societie with the Christiā Congregatiō neuerthelesse whē this societie hath gone Before her SVNNE which is CHRIST she hath borne one name to witt the Synagogue and when she followes him she beares an other to witt the Church And therefore when our Lord said to S. Peter Dic ecclesiae tell it to the Church and if he heare not he Church let him be to thee as an heathen or a publican And when S. LVKE relates that HEROD sett himselfe to Persecute quosdam de ecclesia some of those of the Church and when saint Paul writes I teach it so in all the Churches And againe bee without scandall to the Iewes and to the Gentiles and to the Church of God And when S. Iames proclaimes If anie one be sicke lett him call the priestes of the Church And when S. Ireneus saith there haue bene sacrifices among the people there are sacrifices in the Church they thought they had sufficiently distinguished without anie other additiō the Christian Church frō the Iewish Synagogue And contrariwise when the Church of SMYRNA in an age neighbouringe vpon that of the Apostles intitles her Epistle to the Church of PHILOMILION and to all the a Diocesses of the Catholique Church that are throughout the world And when CLEMENT ALEXANDRINVS writes There needes not manie wordes to shewe that the mocke-Councells of heretickes are after the Catholicke Church And when TERTVLLIAN saieth Marcion gaue his money to the Catholique Church which reiected both it and him when he strayed from our truth to heresie And when sainct CYPRIAN aduertised the Bishops of Africke that passed in to Italie to acknowledge and hold fast the roote and matrice of the Catholicke Church And when Saint EPIPHANIVS reporteth that vnder the persecution of DIOCLESIAN those that held the ancient Churches called themselues the Catholicke Church and the Militians the Church of the martyres And when the Emperor CONSTANTINE ordained that all the Oratories of the Heretickes should be taken from them and presently after deliuered to the Catholicke Church they pretended not by the word Catholicke to distinguish the Christian Church from the Iewish but to distinguish the great and the originall bodie of the Church from the particular and later sectes Yet wee acknowledge that the word Catholicke in distinguishing by hervniuersalitie the true Church from the hereticall and schismaticall sectes distinguisheth her alsoe by accident from the Iewish Synagogue as a speciall difference in distinguishing her species from other species of the same genders doth also distinguish it from that of other genders though that be not her proper office for the word reasonable discerninge men from birds fishes serpentes and other beastes leaves him not vndiscerned accessarily from plantes metalls and stones But we maintaine the expresse and direct end for which the Surname of Catholik hath bene added to the Church I saie to the Church and not to the figures of the Church hath bene to distinguish it from hereticall and Schismaticall sectes If I should this daie by chance enter into a populous towne saith S. PACIANVS an author celebrated by sainct Ierom and finde there Marcionistes and Apolinarians it must be reade Apellecians Cataphrigians Nouatians and other such like which call themselues Christians by what surname should I knowe the Congregation of my people if it were not intitled Catholicke and againe Christian is my name Catholicke is my Surname that names me this markes me out by that I am manifested prodor non probor by this I am distinguished And sainct CYRILL of Ierusalem an author the same age expoundinge the creede For this cause saith he thy faith hath giuen thee this article to holde vndoubtedlie and in the holie Catholicke Church to the end thou 〈◊〉 flie the polluted 〈◊〉 of heretickes And a little after And when thou comst into a towne inquire not simplie where the temple of our Lord is for the other heresies of impious persons doe likewise call theire dens the temples of the Lord neither aske simplie where the Church is but where is the Catholique Church for that name is the proper name of this holie Church And sainct AVGVSTINE in his booke of the Faith and the creede Wee beleeue saith he the holie Church and that Catholicke for the heretickes and Schismatickes name also theire Congregations Churches but heretickes beleeuing in God in a false manner violate the faith and Schismatickes by theire vniust Diuisions seperate themselues from brotherlie Charitie although they beleeue the same thinges that we beleeue therefore the hereticke appartaineth not to the Catholicke Church because she loues God nor the Schismaticke because she loues her neighbour So that it amazeth me that I haue had soe little industrie to explaine myselfe as to haue giuen his Maiestie occasion to answere that the reason for which I had said in the beginninge of my first obseruation that the word Catholicke was not a title of simple beliefe but of communion was not enough manifest For hauinge alleaged these fower places of sainct AVGVSTINE Schismatickes appertaine not to the Catholicke Church although they beleeue the same thinges with vs. Those that disagree soe from the bodie of Christ which is the Church as theire communion is not with all or that it spread it selfe but is found separate in some part it is manifest they are not in the Catholicke Church There is a Church if you cast your eyes ouer the extent of the whole world more aboundant in multitude and also as those that know themselues to be of it affirme more sincere in truth then all the others but of the truth is an other disputation Diuision and dissention makes you heretickes and peace and vnitie makes vs Catholickes And hauinge accompanied them with these wordes of sainct VINCENTIVS 〈◊〉 O admirable conuersion or change the authors of one selfe opinion are called Catholiques and the followers of it beretickes And with those of sainct PROSPER 〈◊〉 that communicates with the vniuersall church is a christian and a 〈◊〉 catholicke and he that communicates not therewith is an hereticke and Antichrist It seemed to me that I had sufficiently shewed that the title of Catholicke is not a simple title of beliefe but of communion also It is true I expected not that a question that had bene anciently moued and adiuged euen with the interuention of the authoritie of Emperors should againe haue bene contested against and put into dispute For in the controuersie of Catholickes and Donatistes vpon the word Catholicke before the decision whereof as sainct Austin saith the Church was neuer
that where of God saith by the mouth of Esay Thou shalt iudge euerie tongue that shall resist thee in iudgement And by his owne The gates of Hell thall not preuaile against her And againe Let him that heares not the Church be vnto thee as a heathen or a publica And by that of S. PAVL God hath placed in the Church Apostles Prophets Pastors and Doctors c. that we may noe longer 〈◊〉 little Children waueringe with euerie winde of doctrine And againe The Church is the Pillar and foundation of trutb doth not RVFFINVS write that Saint Basile and Saint GREGORY Nazianzene tooke the interpretacion of the Scriptures not from theire owne sense but from the tradition of the Fathers And doth not Saint AVGVSTINE crie out within the wombe of the Church is the dwellinge of truth And againe All the fulnesse of authoritie and all the light of reason for reparation of human kinde consistes in the only healthfull name of Christ and in his only Church And doth not VINCENTIVS Lirinensis say because all vnderstand not the holie Scripture by reason of the depth thereof in one sense But one interprets it in one fashion an other in an other so that it seemes there may be as many seuer all opinions drawne out of it as there are seuer all men for Nouatiā expounds it one waie Photinus another waie Sabellius an other Donatus an other Arrius Eunomius Macedonius an other Apollinaris Priscillianus an other Iouinian Pelagius Caelestius and finally Nestorius an other for these causes it is verie necessarie to auoid the perill as so manie great Labyrinths of so diuers errors that the line of the propheticall and apostolicall interpretation should be drawne according to the rule of the Ecclesiasticall and Catholique sense And háue not the ministers of Geneua themselues noted this in the margent of theire last Bibles The doctrine of Faith requires a domesticall and particular instruction namely in those that are ordained to deliuer it into the Church least they should take it in theire owne particular sense vnder colour of the Scripture And this is it that was anciently called TRADITION in the Church Now if the certainty of the interpretation of the Church ought to be také according to the exposition of the very Geneua Bibles not from the sense of euery particular man but from the traditiō of the Church how can it be that the truth of the vnder standinge of the Scripture should be the only certaine and infallible marke to discerne and know the Church But against these proofes the aduersaries of the Church propound obiections which we had best cōfute before we proceede to an other article The first obiection is that Saint AVSTINE in his writinge against the Manichees after he hath made a longe list of the markes of the Church addes this Among you where no such thing is found as holdes and tyes me there soundes only a promisse of the truth which if it be soe manifestly demonstrated as none can call it in question ought to be preferred before all those things whereby I am retained in the Catholicke Church And from hence they conclude that S. AVGVSTINE held not the other markes for necessary and infallible but onelie for probable and coniecturall since he offered to depart from them if they could demonstrate to him vndoubtedly that the truth was of the other side To this I make two answeres one that the truth whereof Saint AVGVSTINE speakes makes nothing for theire purpose that alleage it For Saint AVGVSTINE speaketh not there of the truth demonstrated by scripture which is that whereof the Protestants vaunt but of the truth demonstrated by the light of naturalle reason which was that that the Manichees promised as it appeares by what he said three lines belowe I would not beleeue the Ghospell if the authoritie of the Catholicke Church did not moue me to it And a little after And therefore if thou must yeeld me a reason set aside the Ghospell if thou wilt tye thy-self to the Ghospell I will tye myself to those by whom I haue beleued in the Ghospell And againe The authoritie of the Catholiks being destroyed I could not beleeue the Ghospell because it is by them that I haue beleeued it And in an other place That which remaines for you is to saie that you will produce areason soe certaine and inuincible as the truth thereof being manifested by it selfe it shall haue noe neede of the authoritie of anie witnes nor of the veritie vertue you must reade of anie miracle The other answer is that Saint AVGVSTINE did not propound this in the forme of a possible condition for contrarywise he disputes of deliberate purpose against the Manichees that the naturall light of reason could not be the waie to come to the knowlege of the truth of saluation but in the forme of an impossible condition and which consequentlie diminisheth nothing from the efficacie of the markes of the Church as it appeares by what he addes immediatelie after But if it be only promised and not exhibited none shall separate me from this Faith which by so manie and so great bondes so calls he the externall and sensible markes of the Church bindes my Spirit to the Christian Religion The second obiection that the aduersaries of the Church oppose is that the externall and sensible marks that the Fathers assigne to the Church as antiquitie perpetuitie eminencie and succession belong not to the Church only for as much as manie other things may claime antiquitie as the Sunne the Sea the mountaines and manie other succession as the Springs the brookes the riuers and manie other vniuersalitie as the aire the earth and the other Elements and euen amougst Religions that of the pagans hath heeretofore had eminencie and vniuersalitie and that of the Iewes hath still antiquitie and perpetuitie Certainlie a childish and ridiculous obiection for first the marks that God hath giuen to his Church haue not bene imposed vpon her to distinguish her frō all kindes of things but to distinguish her only from those things that are contained though equiuocally vnder the same next kinde and may be supposed and taken for Churches that is to saie from other Christian societies to witt from hereticall and Schismaticall Sects which challenge and pretend by false markes the title of the Church no more then the markes that Golodmithes giuen to golde that it will not euaporate in the fire and that it will resist the coupelle and the water of separatiō are not giue it to discerne it from all kinde of bodies for there are other bodies to which these conditions arc common as glasse and diamondes but to discerne it from false gold that is from metalls made and sophisticated that may be supposed and made to passe for golde And this alsoe Saint AVGVSTINE esteemes the Church would insinuate in the Canticle where after she hath demaunded of her
And when he saith Tell it to the Church and if he heare not the Church let him be to thee as a heathen or a publican And againe the Cittie set vpon a mountaine cannot be hid And in an other place I will pray not onlie for these heere present but for all those that by theire word shall beleeue in me that they may be all one because the world may know that thou hast sent me Euen a blinde man may see that he speakes of an externall and visible Church And when he expresseth the Church by the parable of the barne where the corne is mingled with the strawe and by the parable of the fielde where the corne and the tares should growe together till haruest And by the parable of the nett cast into the Sea where the euill fishes were inclosed with the good And by the parable of the wedding where the hall was full of guests aswell good as badd and by the parable of the wise and foolish virgins which staied for the Spouse in one howse there needes noe Oedipus to vnderstand that he speakes of a visible Church constituted by externall and temporall vocation And when S. Paul saith to Timothee I write these things to thee that thou maist know how thou oughtest to conuerse in the howse of God which is the Church of the liuing God the pillar and foundation of truth And againe In a great howse there are not onely vessells of gold and siluer but also of wood and earth This word to conuerse which cannot haue relation to an inuisible Societie and this word foundation which is not relatiue to truth which hath no neede of foundation but to men to whom the Church serues for a foundation of truth And these wordes of wood and earth doe visibly shew that he speaketh of an externall and visible Church And when he saith in the 6. Chapter of the first to she Corinthians What haue I to doe to iudge those that are without And in the 11. We haue not this custome neither the Church of God And in the 12. God had placed in the Church first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Doctors And in the Epistle to the Ephesians The truth of the wisedome of God is manifested to the principalities and powers in the heauenly places by the Church And againe Christ clenseth his Church by the waching of water in the word And in the exhortation of the Priests of Ephesus Take heede to your selues and to all the flocke ouer which the holy Ghost hath made you Bishops to rule the Church of God And when Saint Iames saith is his Catholicke epistle If anie one of you be sicke lett him call the Priests of the Church and let them anointe him with oyle It is more cleere then the sunne that they spake of an externall and visible 〈◊〉 And in truth how could it be that these prophesies alreadie soe often repeated In the last daies the mountaine of the Lord shall be aboue all the mountaines The Nations shall come to her and saie lett vs goe vp to the Mountaine of the Lord and into the howse of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his waies The people shall walke in her light and kings in the brightnes of her Oriēt Thine eyes shall see Ierusalem a plentifull habitation and a tabernacle that cannot be remoued Theire seede shall be knowne among the people and thire posteritie amongst the generations All those that shall see them shall know that they are the seed blessed by the Lord the nations shall know that I am the holie one of Israel when my sanctification shall be in the middle of them for euer had not bene iliusions and oracles of the Spirit of lyes if the Church should haue consisted only in the hidden and inuisible number of the predestinate into whose knowledge neither men nor angells can penetrate And our Lord himselfe who is the eternall wisedome of the Father had not he bene the most imprudent of all lawemakers to haue left his law exposed to soe manie suppositions deprauations and false expositions whereto the malice of the heretickes of all ages hath subiected it without leauing a depositary to keepe it and a iudge to interpret it or to haue left it an inuisible depositary and an inuisible interpreter But against this inuincible truth there doe arise fiue principall obiectiōs The first is that our Lord said The gates of hell shall not preuaile against my Church frō whence it seemes to followe that the reprobate are noe partes of the Church because the gates of hell doe preuaile against them The Second that sainct PAVL writheth you are arriued to the heauenly Ierusalem to the Church of the primitiues or first borne which are inrolled in heauen from whence it seemes to follow that the Church is only of the predestinate The third that we protest in the Creede I beleeue the Church from whence it is inferred that the Church is inuisible because faith is of inuisible things The fourth that Saint AVGVSTINE saith in some place that onely predestinat Catholicks are true partes of the Church and the true members of the bodie of Christ and puts a distinction betweene those which are in the howse and those that are of the howse and betweene the people knowne in the eyes of God and the people knowne in the eyes of men And the fift That Saint IEROME writes He that is a Sinner and soiled with anie spott cannot be said to be of the Church of Christ. To the first then of these obiections which is that the gates of hell shall not be victorious ouer the Church we saie That the victories which the gates of hell obtaine against particular persons by the vices of theire manners preuaile but against those particular persons that are spotted there with and not against the bodie of the Church for as much as the vices of manners are but iu the persons that commit or approue them and not in the Communion of the Church Those saith saint AVGVST whom the wicked please in theire vnitie communicate with the wicked but those that are therewith displeased communicate not with the wicked in theire actions but with the altar of Christ. For the Church exacts from none of her membres the condition of being vitious to receiue him into her Communion as she exacts from them the profession of the Faith and of the vniuersall ceremonies that she prescribeth to them the participation of her Sacraments and the adherence to her pastors By meanes whereof there is nothing but heresie and profession of error or infidelitie that can be pretended to make the gates of hell victorious ouer the body of the Church because those only cortupt the conditions vnder which the congregation is contracted or gathered and infect the body and masse of the societie for none can enter into anie hereticall societie
reuerence to the Apostolicke sea it shall turne you to great honor And a while after But what neede was there to exact from me the deposition of Timothy since hee was longe since deposed here with his Master Apollinarius by the iudgement of the Apostolicke sea and in the presence of Peter Bishop of Alexandria For whereas the demaund of this confirmation is not to be found in the Epistle of the councell of Constantinople reported by THEODORET it is because that Epistle is not the letter of the coūcell of the one hundred and fiftie Fathers but of an other councell celebrated the yeare following at Constantinople by some of the same Fathers either called backe againe as THEODORET pretends or remayning of the former councell as it appeares by the tenor of that letter And why then when the same councell had confirmed the election that the Syrians had made of Flauianus insteede of Miletius competitor of Paulinus to the Patriarkshipp of Antioch and had reunited in Flauianus person both their Rightes did the Pope call the cause to Rome before a councel that hee assembled there and by his letters accompained with those of the Emperor GRATIAN sent for the councell of Constantinople which had confirmed this election to cause them to come and put it againe to triall at Rome and gaue assignation to both parties to appeare there whereof one to witt Paulinus appeared but Flauianus distrusting the equitie of his cause had recourse to excuses and delaies The Ecclestasticall necessitie saith saint IEROM drew me to Rome with the holie Bishops PAVLINVS and EPIPHANIVS whereof the one gouerned the Church of Antioch in Syria and the other the Church of Salamina in Cypres And againe When the Emperiall letters had drawne to Rome the Bishops of the East and west Paul sawe there the admirable men and Bishops of Christ Paulinus Bishop of Antioch and Epiphanius Bishop of Salamina in Cypres And Sozomene the Bishop of Rome said he and all the westerne Praelates bare the ordination of Flauianus verie impatiently And a little after And therefore because it should be 〈◊〉 they together with the Emperor 〈◊〉 writt and called the Bishops of the East into the west And the same Fathers of the councell of Constantinople excusing themselues to the Pope and the councell of Rome that they could not come to Rome moued said they with brotherly charitie you haue called vs as your members by the letters of the most religious Emperor c. But besides that our Churches but a while before beginning to be restored if we should haue done this had bene 〈◊〉 abandoned it was a thing which many of vs could noe way put in execution for asmuch as we trauelled to Constantinople vpon the letters of your Reuerence sent the last yeare after the councell of Aquilea to the most religious Emperor Theodosius hauing prepared vs for none but that onely yourney of Constantinople and hauing gotten the consent of the Bishops remayning in the Prouinces for none but that And towardes the end of the Epistle speaking of PAVLINVS whom they belieued Pope DAMASVS fauored as hauing bene created Patriarcke of Antioch by Lucifer Legate to the Pope LIBERIVS his predecessor we 〈◊〉 you not to preferr the fauour or friendship to one particular man before the edification of the Churches that by this meanes the Doctrine of saith and Christian Charitie being confirmed amongst vs that is to saie of those of the East amongst themselues we may ceasse to haue in our mouthes these wordes condemned by the Apostle I am of Paule and I of Apollo and I of 〈◊〉 that is to saie we should cease from saying I am a Miletian I am a Paulinist I am an Appolinarist For that it is which those signifie I am of Paul I am of Apollo I am of Cephas which doe not designe as our aduersaries pretend the Pope and the Bishops of the Empire of the hast but the three factions whereinto the Churches of the Easterne Asia had bene deuided and rent vnder Paulinus Miletius and Appollinarius And indeede how could those of the East meane by those wordes amongst 〈◊〉 the Pope and themselues they that were soe tied in communion to the Pope as they had not bene restored to their seates as Theodoret said but euen nowe but vnder condition to communicate with the pope but that is so cleere as it needes noe proofe let vs goe on And why then when the euasions of Flauianus who withdrew himselfe because he knew he had bene ordered against the oath made betweene Miletius his predecessor and Paulinus that the longest liuer of them two should remaine the sole Patriarck had bene discouered and that the complaintes thereof were arriued to the Emperor THEODOSIVS then only Emperor who resided at Constantinople did the Emperor make him come from Antioch to Constantinople and pressed him to goe to Rome euen after the departure of the councell of Rome The Emperor said THEODORET often called vpon made Flauianus come to Constantinople and commaunded him to trauaile to Rome but Flauianus answering it was winter and promisinge to performe his commaund in the returne of the Spring returned into his countrie And a while after the Emperor hauing againe made him come to him againe commaunded him to transport himselfe to Rome For that THEODORET Suffragan of the Patriarkship of Antioch and creature to one of Flauianus successors adds that the Emperor touched with the second answere of Flauianus sent him backe to his prouince and tooke vpon him protection of his cause is a testimonie that hath more relation to fauour then to truth as it appeares by these wordes of saint AMBROSE written after the councell of Capua which was holden vnder Pope SIRICIVS Successor to DAMASVS Flauianus hath cause to feare and therefore he flies a triall And againe one onely Flauianus not subiect to lawes as it seemes to him appeares not when we are all assembled And a while after Flauianus only is exempted as he pretendes from the conditions of the Sacerdotall Colledge who will neither exhibite his presence to the Sacerdotall assemblie nor to the imperiall decrees And why then when Paulinus was dead and that Euagrius was substituted in his steed did the same councell of Capua which the third Councell of Carthage calls an vniuersall councell and that S. AMBROSE describes as assembled from an infinite mumber of Prouinces continue the first proceeding of the Pope and seeing that Euagrius had appeared and that Flauianus perseuered in his contempt delegated THEOPHILVS Bishop of Alexandria whose Patriarkship bordered vpon that of Antioch to examin it The sacred Synod saith saint AMBROSE in his Epistle to Theophilus hauing committed the right of examining this affaire to your vnanimitie and to our other colleagues of Egipt it is necessarie that you cite againe our brother Flauianus And why then when the councell of Capua had giuen this commission to THEOPHILVS Patriarke
of Tagast nor Ualentin as appeares by the African Councell Primate of Numidia Now to the first of these obiections which is of the date it hath bene alreadie answered by manie and amongst the rest by Monsieur le Feure afterward Tutor to the most Christian King that in steede of these wordes Ualentinian for the fowrth tyme and Theodosius Consulls it must be read Ualentinian for the fowrth time and Neoterius consulls the copiers hauing ignorantlie from the abridgement of these letters Neot made Theod To the second obiection which is of the name Genedius which is not found attributed to anie Bishop of Carthage before Aurelius it hath likewise bene answered that it must not be read Genedius but Genetlius which is the name of Aurelius predecessor and so the ancient Manuscriptes haue it And so Fulgentius Ferrandus an African Author reades it whose antiquitie is of aboue a thousand two hundred yeares To which there may be added that the appendix of the capitularie of Charlemaine citeth the ninth canon of the same Councell with these termes The Bishop Genilius hath said which is a word corrupted from the name Genetlius To the third obiection which is of the presence of 〈◊〉 mentioned in some canons of this councell Monsieur le Feure answereth that he hath seene some Manuscripts which insteede of Aurelius haue in the second canon Epigonius and in the fifth and sixth Genetlius Though it should be read Aurelius it doth not therefore followe that the councell intended to speake of Aurelius Bishop of Carthage for the name of Aurelius was a name very common to the Bishops of Africa as in the councell holden vnder the consulship of Cesarius and Atticus Aurelius 〈◊〉 of Carthage maketh mention of an other Bishop called Aurelius Reginus saith hee hath brought me letters frō Crescentianus Bishop of the first Sea of Numidia as he pretends and from Aurelius our fellow Bishops And in the conference of Carthage with the Donatists There was amōgst the Catholicke Bishops Aurelius Bishop of Carthage and Aurelius Bishop of Macomades And if this same Aurelius had bene Bishop of Carthage it neede not followe therefore that Genetlius had bene his coadiutor Contrarywise it would follow from thence that it should be Genetlius that had bene Bishop of Carthage in Chiefe and Aurelius his coadiutor For the Councell intituled the second of Carthage had bene called by Genetlius as he testifies in these words You haue trauailed to Carthage according to the request of my letters Now the letters to call 〈◊〉 councell had not bene dispatched in Genetlius his name and principally 〈◊〉 being present and resident at Carthage if Aurelius had bene chiefe Archbishop and that Genetlius had bene but his coadiutor For the priuiledge to call Generall Councells of Africa belonged of right to the Archbishops of Carthage and to 〈◊〉 it apperteyned to signe the letters which they called in greeke Synodicall and in latin tractatorie and not tractorie as Erasmus supposed and some new censors after him not considering the difference that was betweene the tractory letters that the Emperors dispatched to send for their officers and to cause them to be defraied by the waie and the tractatory letters that the Primates write either to their Suffragans to call them to the Councells of their Prouinces or to strainge Bishops to aduertise them of what they had done in the Councells of their Prouinces for the one was called tractory of the word traho and the other was called tractatory of the word tractatus which signifies Synod or Councell From whence it is that saint AMBROSE and the Councells of Carthage call the Councell of Nicea Trastatus Nicenus and that the Councell of Zelles in Africa calls the Epistle that Pope Siricius writt to the Africans not to the end to call them but to the end to aduertise them of what had bene ordained in the Councell of Rome tractatory And that saint AVGVSTIN intitleth the Synodicall Epistles of the Councell of the Maximianists holden at Carthage TRACTATORIE And therefore in all the places of the African Councells where this word is vsed not onely the latine edi say tractatory but euen the greeke translation made before the tyme of Iustinian Rhinotmete that is neere a thousand yeares agone hath it Sinodicall To the fowrth obiection which is that in the Councell intitled the second of Carthage there is mention made of Alipius Bishop of Sagast and of Ualentine Primate of Numidia to which there hath as yet bene nothing answered and which is in truth such as if the edition of this place were correct the Illustrious Cardinall Baronius his reason had bene inuincible I answere these two wordes Alypius Bishop of Sagast and Ualentine Primate of Numidia are not of the originall text of the second Councell of Carthage but they are two quotations which haue bene added to the repetition of one of the canons of this Councell which was made in the collection intitled the sixth Councell of Carthage I will take the busines at the spring to make the readers vnderstand it the better Amongst the monuments of antiquitie which are come to vs there it found as is alreadie aboue said a Collection of thirtie three Canons taken out of diuers precedent Councells And amongst the rest from the first Councell of Carthage holden vnder Gratus Archbishop of Carthage from the second Councell of Carthage holden vnder Genetlius Archbishop of Carthage and from the third and fifth Councells of Carthage holden vnder Aurelius Archbishop of Carthage Successor to each of them but which haue bene since compiled and assembled into a collection be it as we pretend by a particular rapsody be it as some others pretend by the sixth Councell of Carthage Now it is happened that the copyers of this collection intituled the sixth Councell of Carthage belieuing that the canons that are inserted there had bene made in the sixth Councell of Carthage and not borrowed and repeated out of the preceding Councells haue accommodated in their copies the most parte of the quotations of the articles to the time and to the persons of the sixth Councell of Carthage For example in the fifte Canon of the collection intituled the sixth Councell of Carthage which is a canon taken from two places out of the first Councell of Carthage celebrated vnder the Archbishop Gratus as it appeares 〈◊〉 by the text of the first Councell of Carthage of whose truth both sides are agreed and by Fulgentius Ferrandus who alleadges the second part of this canon with the title of the Canons of the Councell holden vnder saint GRATVS and by the Councell of Ayx in Germany called in the tyme of Lewis the Debonnaire who citeth the last part with this inscription Gratus hath said the copiers to fitt it to the time of the sixth Councell of Carthage haue changed the ticket of the article and in steede of these
please your charitie that we should honor the memorie of the Apostle Peter lett it be written to Iulius Bishop of Rome by the same Bishops that haue giuen the iudgemēt to the end that if it be needefull it may be renewed by the next Bishops and lett the Bishop of Rome giue the Judges but if the affaire be such as there is no neede of a new iudgement lett not the things once iudged be disabled but remaine firme The second was propounded by Gaudentius and authorized by all the Councell in these wordes If it seeme to you necessarie to add to this sentence full of sincere charitie that you haue propounded That if anie Bishop be deposed by the next Bishops and saie that his affaire ought to be iudged a new lett no other be installed in his sea till the Bishop of Rome haue pronounced vpon it with examinatiōs of the cause Which Canō was made as Balsamon notes to disanull the Canō that the Arriās had published in the Councell of Antioch against S. ATHAN which ordained that it should not be lawfull for a Bishop after he had bene deposed by all the votes of a Synod to exercise anie Episcopall functiō nor to hope for restitutiō and to condēne the intrusiō the Arians had made of Gregorie in steede of S. ATHAN without attending the reuiew of the processe And the third was againe propounded by Osius and confirmed by all the councell in these words It hath pleased that if a Bishop haue bene accused and that he haue recourse by waie of Appeale to the Blessed Bishop of the Roman Church and that he will heare him and doē esteeme it iust that the examinatiō of the affaire should be renewed let him vouchsafe to write to the Bishops neighbouring that prouince that they should carefullie and with diligence examine all things and iudge the affaire according to the creditt of the truth and if anie one demaund that his cause should be heard againe and seeme to moue the Bishop of Rome by his prayer that he should send Priests from his owne side it shall be in the power of the Bishops of Rome to doe what he shall think fit and if he conceiue that he should send to iudge with the Bishops persons hauing the authoritie of him that sends them lett it be so done and if he thinke it will suffice that those that are alreadie vpon the place should examine the affaire and the iudgment of the Bishop lett him doe what shall seeme best in his most wise iudgment Now these words do so dazle the eyes of the Popes aduersaries as they cannot supporte their light and therefore they attempt to resist and weaken them with seauen obiections The first that the Councell of Sardica propounds the ouerture of Appeales to the Pope not as a thing before practised but as put to deliberation and instituted at that present tyme and in words of the future tense from whence they inferr that the Right of Episcopall appeales was not from all Antiquitie yielded to the Pope but only since the Councell of Sardica and add that the Councell specifying the name of Pope Julius and say ing let it be written to Iulius Bishop of Rome shewes that this institūtion began only in the Papacie of Julius and had no place in his predecessors tymes To this obiection then wee saie that it is ordinary to antient Councells when they renew vnwritten customes yea euen the verie written lawes of the Church to propound them as if they did new institute them and to take the notes of the assistants to conclude them and to declare them by words of the future tense As in the same Councell of Sardica the prohibition to passe from one Cittie to an other renewed because of Eusebius of Nicomedia head of the Arrian faction who was past from the Bishoprik of Nicomedia to that of Constantinople and the prohibition to a Bishop to receaiue a Clerke from an other Bishop excommunicated by him and others the like were propounded in future words and with receauing the votes of the assistants although the custome were tyme out of mynde in the Church and that they had bene euen sett downe in writinge in the Councell of Nicea And Pope Julius after he had cited the Canon of the Councell of Nicea for the reuiew of the iudgements of Synods adds that this Canon had bene formerly practised by custome in the Church and after reduced into writing at the Councell of Nicea And the Councell of Constantinople writing to Pope Damasus Doth it not saie of the ordination of Bishops by the metropolitans It is as you know both 〈◊〉 grounded vpon ancient custome and decision of the Councell of Nicea For as for the name of Pope Iulius which is specified in the first of the three canons of the Councell of Sardica besides that it is not found in the ancient latine Editions which were produced in the Councell of Africa in saint AVGVSTINES tyme where the text saith simplie as in the other following canons The Bishop of Rome and not Iulius Bishop of Rome By meanes whereof there is a Ground for suspition that it is a quotation of the exemplifiers which is slipt out of the margent into the Text there can be nothing inferred from it but this that the Fathers of the Councell of Sardica inserted the name of Iulius there to shew that the Councell by this canon ratified not only in generall Appeales to the Pope but iustified and ratified in particular the restitution that Pope Iulius had made of saint ATHANASIVS Paule of Constantinople Marcellus of 〈◊〉 Asclepas of Gaza and other Bishops that the Arrians had deposed in their false Councells agreeably to the Answere that they had made to the Arrians that they could not reiect the comunion of Athanasius and the other Bishops deposed by the Councells of Tyre Antioch and Constantinople because Iulius Bishop of Rome hauing examined their cause had not condemned them And indeede if the Councell of Sardica had giuen beginning to the Right of Appeales how could Pope Iulius manie yeares before haue written to the Arrians Are you ignorant that it is the custome that wee be first written to that from hence may proceede the iust decision of things and therefore if there were anie suspition conceiued against the Bishop there that is to saie against the Bishop of Alexādria you should haue written to the church heere that is to saie to the church of Rome how could Socrates Sozomene haue said that Pope Iulius many yeares before the Coūcell of Sardica restored 〈◊〉 Patriarke of Alexandria Paule Bishop of Constantinople Marcellus Primat of Galatia and other Bishops deposed by the Councells of the East because to him for the diginty of his Sea the care of all things belonged The second obiectiō is that the Councell of Sardica grounds the canon of appeales to the Pope not vpō diuine right but vpon the
desire of honoring of saint Peters memory from whence they inferr that the attributiō of the Episcopall appeales to the Pope is not by diuine Right but who sees not that euē this is to ground it vpon diuine Right for tosaie that to honor the memory of S. PETER it was to purpose to yield Episcopall Appeales to the Pope what is it but to saie that the Pope was S. PETERS successor and that in this qualitie Appeales ought to be yielded to him as to him that had the succession of head of the church and by this succession was himfelse made head thereof And in truth what the Fathers of the councell of Sardica expresse in their Canon by these words That we may houor the memorie of Peter lett it be written to Julius the Bishop of Rome do they not expresse in their Epistle to the same Iulius by these It is verie good and fitt that from all the prouinces the Bishops haue reference to their head that is to saie to the sea of the Apostle Peter And doth it not from thence appeare that to honor in the persons of the Bishops of Rome the memory of Peter and to ackdowledge the sea of Peter in the persons of the Bishops of Rome for head of the Church is according to the Councell of Sardica one and the same thinge and by consequent that the right of Appeales which was implicitly contained in the title of Head of the Church had belonged to the Pope by diuine right from all antiquitie although the custome had bene first reduced into an expresse lawe but in the Councell of Sardica For who knowes not that all the prerogatiues that are implicitly contained in anie Title belong to him to whom the Title is giuen from the verie tyme it is giuen him though the lawes 〈◊〉 are made for the explicit declaration of anie of those prerogatiues 〈◊〉 later The third obiection is that saint HILARIE and saint EPIPHANIVS and the second Councell of Constautinople call the Councell of Sardica the Councell of those of the west From whence Zonara Hormenopolus and some other later Greekes and Schismaticks and the Protestants who ioyne with them conclude that the Councell of 〈◊〉 was not Generall To this obiection then we answere two thinges the one that the word of the west did then extend much farther then it doth now for by the word of the West the fathers intended not onely all the Prouinces of Africa of Italie of Spaine of the Gaules of England of Germanie of Hungaria of Dalmatia but also all the Prouinces of Greece as Achaia Peloponesus Macedonia the Isle of Creete and left nothing for the East but Thrace Egipt and Asia And the other that their calling the Councell of Sardica the Councell of the west is not to distinguish it from the Generall Councells as some late Greekes haue supposed but to distinguish it from the false Councell of Sardica which was called the Councell of those of the East For after the whole Councell composed of three hundred Cotholicke Bishops and of seauentie six Arrian Bishops was arriued at Sardica the seauētie six Arrians seperated themselues from the Bodie of the Councell and retired them selues to Philopopolis a cittie neere Sardica where they kept an Anti-councell which was called the Councell of those of the East Not that all the Bishops of the East assisted there but for two other causes the one for as much as the principall Bishops of this mock-councell were Steuen Patriarke of Antioch and the other Bishops of his Patriarkship which was called the Patriarkship of the East And the other because of the two citties whereinto this Councell was diuided situate on the two sides of the mountaine of Thuscis which was the bound of the two Empires of the East of the west the cittie of Sardica wherein the catholicks remayned was situat in the westerne side of the mountaine and the cittie of Philopopolis into which the Arians retired themselues was situate on the Easterne side For so farr of were all the Bishops of the East from assisting at this Anti-synod as the Arrians themselues confest that held it that there were but eightie of them there and auowed that the Bishops of the Empire of the East which were present at the true Councell of Sardica were an immense number There came saie they to Sardica an immense number of wicked and lost Bishops flowing from Constantinople and from Alexandria whom Osius and Protogenes held assembled with them in their Conuenticle And yet euen to take the East particularly for the Patriarkship of Antioch many of the Bishops of the East though taken in this sence assisted not at the false Councell of Sardica Contrarywise all the Catholick Bishops as well of the Patriarkship of Antioch as of the neighbouring Prouinces as Diodorus Bishop of Asia minors Asterius Bishop of 〈◊〉 in Arabia Maximus Bishop of Hierusalem 〈◊〉 Bishop of Lydda Arius Bishop of Petra in Judea Theodosius Germanus Siluanus Paul Claudius Patrick Elpidus Germanus 〈◊〉 Zenobius Paule and Peter Bishop of Palestina assisted and subscribed with the body of the catholicke Bishops at the true Councell of Sardica By meanes whereof this distraction consisting in so small a number of Bishops and being made by the Arrians only could not hinder the true Councell of Sardica which represented all that were catholicke Bishops in the world from preseruing the title of Generall which had bene imposed vpon it at the calling it no more then the distraction of those of the East that is to saie the Bishops of the Patriarkship of Antioch which maintained Nestorius and held an Antisynod in his fauour at Ephesus hindred the true Councell of Ephesus from being perfectlie and absolutely generall and from taking this qualitie euen then when those of the East that is to saie the Bishops of the patriar kship of Antioch held their mockcouncell a part And therfore saint ATHANASIVS not only calls it the Great Councell of Sardica and Socrates and Iustinian a Generall Councell but also saint ATHANASIVS and after him Sulpitius 〈◊〉 Theodoret and Vigilius ancient Bishop of Trent affirme that it was composed from all the christian Prouinces of the Earth The holie Councell of Sardica saith saint ATHANASIUS assembled from more then thirtie fiue Prouinces knowing the malice of the Arrians receaued vs in our iustifiable acts And elsewhere explicating the list of the same Prouinces In the Great Councell of sardica called by the commaundement of the Religious Emperors Constantius and Constans There subscribed for vs more then three hundred Bishops of the Prouinces of Egipt of Libia of Pentapolis of Palestina of Isauria of Ciprus of Phamphilia of Licia of Galatia of Dacia of Misia of Thracia of Dardaniae of Micedonia of the 〈◊〉 of Thessalia of Achaya of Creete of Dalmatia of Siccia of Pannonia of Horica of Italie so they called the Prouostship
PERRONS REPLIE TO THE KING OF GREAT BRITAINE THE FOVRTH BOOKE THE ESTATE OF THE CHVRCH IN THE EAST CHAPT I. The continuance of the Kings answere HAd anie one presumed to alter or disguise euer so little the faith approued by the vvhole world it vvas easie euen for a Child to surprise and discouer in his noueltie him that should bring in a different doctrine and the robber of the truth being surprised all the pastors of the vvorld if it vvere needefull roused themselues vp and being once stirred vp gaue themselues noe rest till they had taken avvay the euill from amongst them and had prouided for the securitie of Christs flocke This vvas heeretofore the designation and felicitie of the Catholicke church but vvhich indured nōt manie ages THE REPLIE APPELLES answered one daie to one of this Schollers that had painted a Venus loaded with pearles carkanets and iewells because thou couldst not paint her faire thou hast painted her rich so though this discription be not adorned with truth which is the simple naked and naturall beautie of historie it is eloquent and adorned with rich and magnificent wordes But S. BASILL and S. HIEROM paint out the estate of Religion in their time in the east much otherwise S. BASILL when he saith To what shall we compare the state of the present times certainlie to a Sea-fight when Sea Captaines chased with the warr and inflamed to the combate set one vpon an other with a violent hate and nourisht with old iniuries And a while after The troubles stirred vp by the Princes of the earth swallow vp the people more horribly then all kinds of 〈◊〉 windes and tempests and a darke and sad night possesses the Churches the lights that God had placed to illuminate the soules of men being banisht from their Seas And S. HIEROME when he writes Because the East striking against it selfe by the antient furie of the people teares in little morsells the vndeuided coate of our lord wouen on high and that the foxes destroie the vine of Christ in such sort as it is difficult amongst the drie pitts that haue noe water to discerne where the sealed fouutaine and the inclosed garden is for this cause I haue thought that I ought to consult whith the Chaire of Peter and the faith praised by the mouth of the Apostle And a while after Now in the west the sunn of iustice is risen and in the East that Lucifer which was fallen hath sett vp his Throne aboue the starrs you are the light of the world you are the salt of the earth you are the vessells of gold of Syluer and the vessells of earth or wood doe here attend the rod of iron and the eternall And the historie of the following ages doth euen the same For when 〈◊〉 rose vp and after he had bene iudged in the first instance by Flanianus Bishop of Constantinople appealed or pretended to haue appealed to the Pope and was againe iudged and deposed in the second instance by him what came of it The Emperor Theodosius gouerned by 〈◊〉 an abettor of Eutyches caused a Councell to be held vnder the title of Generall at Ephesus where by force and by strong hand he caused Dioscorus the Patrō of Eutyches heresie to preside the legates of the Pope for this cause quitting the place fled In that Coūcell Eutyches was restored Flauianus deposed and slaine after he had neuerthelesse appealed from his condemnation to the Pope and the Eutychian heresie was subscribed by Dioscorus Patriarke of Alexandria Maximus Patriarke of Antioch Iuutnall Patriarke of Hierusalem and almost by all the Bishops of the Councell some by their good wills and others by force The Pope againe takes the cause of the faith in hand pursues the holding of a new Councell which was that of Chalcedon were that heresie is condemned and Dioscorus and Eutyches and all his abettors deposed and excommunicated and in Dioscorus steed there was substituted in the patriarkshipp of Alexandria Proterius a catolicke and partaker with the Councell of Chalcedon to Proterius there succeeded Timothie an 〈◊〉 and paracide of his Predecessor who againe sett on foote the Eutychian heresie in the Sea of Alexandria and in Egipt and disannulled there the decrees of the Councell of Chalcedon a while after into the Sea of Antioch there entred PETER surnamed the Tanner likewise an enemie to the Councell of Chalcedon and professor of the heresie of 〈◊〉 Likewise there came to Constantinople Acacius who communicated with Peter Bishop of Antioch and there was installed in the Empire Zeno an Eutychian and disannuller of the Councell of Chalcedon and all the Easterne Church miserablie rent by the factions of those that held some for the Councell and some against it and others neither for nor against it whom they called neuters so longe that after some changes of Patriarks sometimes Catholicks and some times Eutychians all the naturall Churches of Egypt and those of Ethiopia that is to saie all that acknowledged the Egiptian Patriarke of Alexandria haue remained and perseuered still to this daie in the profession of the Eutychian heresie Such was then in the east vnder the Emperors abusing their authoritie the designation and felicitie of the Church and such was the facilitie euen for Children except those that cast their eyes vpon the communion of the Roman Church to knowe the robbers of the truth and for pastors to driue awaie the euill from among them For as for the west the Patriarshipp of the Roman Church hath alwaies had this particular blessing that within the 〈◊〉 of the extent thereof the Catholicke Church notwithstanding the infidelitie of the Emperors had bene without comparison more visible and more eminent as being the Ensigne Colonell and that where to the others ought to haue regard and vnder which they should gather themselues then in the other Patriarkships From whence it is that what S. HIEROM writes in the forme of a historie of former times when he saith to Pope Damasus The wicked children hauing dispersed their patrimonie amongst you 〈◊〉 is preserued vncorrupted the inheritance of the fathers S. LEO seemeth to saie it informe of a prophecie of those that are to followe who pronounces That none of the Patriarchall 〈◊〉 sauing that of Rome shall remaine firme and stable What the diuision of the Empire hath wrought to the diuision of the Church CHAP. II. The continuance of the Kinges answere FOR after the Empire being ouerthrowne and the forme of the common wealth changed new gouernments haue risen vp manie in number different in manners distinct in languages lawes and institutions The diuision of the Empire hath drawne after it the diuision of the Catholicke Church and all those thinges that wee saie nowe to haue serued 〈◊〉 to the preseruation of the vnion and externall Communion of the Catholicke Church haue ceased by little and little THE REPLIE THE diuision of the Empire hath not
caused the diuision of the Church especiallie in the West for whatsoeuer multitude of gouernments haue had place there vnder the title of Empire Kindome Principalitie and Common wealth and whatsoeuer difference of manners languages lawes and institutions that haue raigned there the Church hath bene no more visible in the tyme when the Empire was one and ruled ouer all the East and west then it hath bene vnder this diuersitie of Princes and gouernments Also the vnitie of the Church was not foretold by the Prophets only for the time wherein there should be but one tēporall monarcke in the world if euer that title could haue belonged to anie Prince but also for that tyme wherein there should bee seuerall kinges and Administrators of Estates according to this Prophecie of the Psalmist The Kings and Kingdomes shall agree in one to serue our Lord. Which caused S. AVGVSTINE to saie vnder colour that in the whole world Kingdomes are often deuided yet for all that Christian vnitie is not 〈◊〉 for as much as the Catholicke Church remaines on either part And indeede that the vnitie of the Church depends not from the vnitie of the Empire but from the relation to a visible center of the Ecclesiasticall communion it appeared sufficiently euen in the time of the greatest vnitie and extent of the Empire when the Christians which were vnder Firmus King of the Barbarians in Africa vnder Mania Queene of the Sarazins vnder Cosroes King of Persia states all distinct yea the most part of the time enemies to the Romane Empire And after in Damascus and other neighbouring Prouinces vnder the Kings of the Agarenians did all agree in the vnion and communion of the Catholicke Church For as for the deuisions which are at this daie in the East euery one knowes that that of Egypt and Ethiopia hath begun from the time of the vnitie of the Empire And that of the Armenians likewise as appeares by the decisiōs made against them in the Canōs of the Coūcell holden vnder Iustinian 〈◊〉 And that of the Nestorians and Iacobites which haue yet to this day their sect in Mesopotamia other partes of Asia likewise And as for the Greeke Church it is certaine that although it began to be diuided since the separation of the Empire neuerthelesse the cause of the diuision was not the diuision of the Empire vnder which it perseuered yet manie yeares in vnitie with the Latine but the Schisme betweene the two competitors of the Patriarkship of Constantinople Ignatius and Photius to which to make it the more lasting heresie was added and which the Emperors according as they haue bene good or euill haue indeuoured themselues to fomēt or stopp and there haue not wanted generall Councells euen of the two seuerall Churches to extinguish this diuision when they haue desired it For histories are full of these examples witnes that which was holden at Constantinople vnder the Emperor Basilius for the restitution of Ignatius that which was holden vnder Pope Innocent the third which wee call the great Councell of Lateran to reunite the Greeke church with the Latine and that which was holden for the same effect at Florence vnder Eugenius the fourth at which the Emperor and the Patriarke of Greece assisted in person As also the diuision of the Empire and the rule of the Greeke Emperors after of the Mahometan Princes did not hinder the Churches that acknowledged the Patriarke of the Syrian tongue whom we call Maronites from perseuering in the communion of the Roman Church In such sort as this varietie and diuision of sects in the East can not be attributed to the defect of the vnitie of the Empire since in the time that the Empyre was most vnited these troubles and innouations had such place therein as Socrates and Sozomene doe in the tyme of the Emperor Constantius set the mount Tuscis in Illiria for a bound betweene the quiet peace of the Church and the tempest and turbulencie of hereticks But it ought to be attributed to the want of constancie of the Easterne people or rather to the blessing of God vpon the Roman church which would shew that this prophecie Thou art Peter and vpon this Rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it hath had some more speciall effect for the Sea of S. PETER then for those of the other Patriarkes according to that oracle of the great Leo Besides the stone that our Lord hatt sett for a foundation noe other building shall be stedfast Of the interpretation of these vvords Thou art Peter and vpon this Rock I will build my Church CHAPT III. The continuance of the Kings answere SINCE that time the Catholicke Church in truth hath not ceast to be for it shall allwaies bee and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against her who is founded on Christ the true stone and in the faith of PEETER and of the other Apostles THE REPLIE THat some times the Fathers expound these words Vpon this Rock I will build my Church of the Faith of S. PETER and say that the Church was built vpon the confession of PETER And that some times they expound it of the person of PETER and saie that the Church hath bene founded vpon the person of PETER they are not contrarie expositions the one excluding the other but conioynt the one including the other for they intend the Church to speake the Schoole language is built causallie vpon the confession of PETER and formallie vpon the ministrie of the person of PETER that is to saie the confession of PETER was the cause werefore Christ chose him to constitute him for the foundation of the ministrie of his Church By that saith saint HILLARIE the blessed Confession hath obtained his reward and that the person of saint Peter hath bene that vpon which our Lord hath properlie built his Church Soe as to saie that his Church is built vpon the confessio of PETER is not to denie that it is built vpō the person of PETER but it is to expresse the cause wherefore it is built vpon him noe more then to sale with saint HIEROME that PETER walked not vpon the waters but Faith is not to denie that saint PETER walked trulie properly and formallie vpon the water but it is to expresse that the cause that made him walke there was not the actiuitie or naturall vertue of his person but the faith that he had giuen to the words of Christ. And therefore as these two propositions the faith of PETER walked vpon the waters and the person of PETER walked vpon the waters are both true but in a different sence for the faith of PETER walked vpon the waters causallie as the Schooleme sare that is to saie it was the cause that the person of saint PETER walked there and the person of saint PETER walked there trulie properlie and formallie so these two propositions the Church was built vpon
Church the priuiledge to conquer Hell and to deliuer mankinde from the tyrannie and oppression of the deuill that name is become consecrate and affected to her alone and it hath bene forbidden to communicate it anie more to anie other Societie either Paga hereticall or Schismaticall Let not the Conuenticles of hereticks saith the fowrth Councell of Carthage be called Churches but Mock-Councells And the verie lawe of the Emperors That the Donations made to hereticall Conuenticles which they presume rashlie to call Churches be applied to the reuerend Catholick Church THE second that S. PAVLE writing to the Galatians and to the Corinthians calls their Societies Churches and neuerthelesse the Galatians erred in faith imbracing the circumcision with the Ghospell and the Corinthians in not beleeuing the Resurrectiō but the snare here is manifest For there is great difference betweene the doctrine of a Church and the doctrine of anie particular person which is deuided from the doctrine of the same Church The doctrine of a church is that which is held by the bodie of that Church vnder the codition whereof either expresse or tacite she receiues men into her comunion not the doctrine which euery particular mā straying fro the commo doctrine of the same church holdes against the opinions of the Bodie Now it cannot be found that the Societie of the church of the Corinthians did euer hold that the dead did not rise againe nor that she had exacted that beleefe from those that entred into her communion but onelie that amongst the Corinthians there were some that did not beleeue the resurrection of the dead If Christ saith S. PAVLE be preached to haue risen againe from the dead how is it that there are some amongst you that saie there is no resurrection of the dead And that S. PAVLE made his remonstrance in common it was to hinder them from being seduced by them which spake this language Suffer not your selues said hee to bee seduced euill words corrupt good manners But not that he supposed they beleeued it contrarywise hee exhorts them to remaine firme in that which they beleeued And therefore my Bretheren said hee be stedfast and vnmoueable And for the Galatians soe farr off was it that that error which sainct PAVL cryed out against was the doctrine of the Church of the Galatians as it was the doctrine of those which rebelled against the faith of the Church of the Galatians which doctrine sainct PAVL disputes as if all the Galatians had imbraced it not that they did doe soe but to hinder them from doeing soe as he testifies to them in these wordes I haue this confidence of you in our Lord that you will haue noe other beleefe but that he that troubles you shall beare his iudgement whosoeuer hee be And againe If a man be found in anie crime doe you which are spirituall instruct him in the spiritt of mildness And that this is the true intent of sainct PAVL sainct AVGVSTINE teacheth vs when hee writes to Vincentius Rogatist Thou might'st saie euen as well that manie of the Churches of Galatia were not when the Apostle cryed out O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you And a while after The Canonicall scriptures haue bene wont to make their reprehcnsion in such sort as it may seeme the word is addressed to all and neuerthelesse it concernes but some fewe THE third is that sainct AVGVSTINE disputing against the Donatistes writes That the Church begetts all Christians by Baptisme from whence they would inferr that all those then that are baptized as well Catholiks as hereticks are in the Church but he bringes with it expressely this distinction either in her selfe or without her selfe to shewe that the Church begetts none but Catholicks onely in her selfe as Sara begate but Isaack onely in herselfe and that the rest the Church begets without her selfe For although Ismael were not begotten in the Bodie of Sara but in the bodie of Agar yet he was in a sort begotten by Sara for as much as he was begotten by her that belonged to Sara and was Saras nuptiall right to witt by the seede of Abraham Soe then the hereticks be begotten by Baptisme out of the Church neuerthelesse it is the Church that begetts them euen out of the Church for as much as the baptisme whereby they are begotten and which those that baptise them haue carryed out of the Church belonges to the Church and is of the coniugall rightes of the church and not heresie By which meanes when they returne to the church there is noe neede that the church should baptise them againe The Church saith hee begetts all Christians by baptisme be it in her-selfe that is to saie in her bowells or without her selfe that is to is to saie of her husbands seede be it in her selfe or in the bond-woeman Whereby soe farr is hee from teaching that heretickes are in the church as contrarywise he plainelie affirmes heereby that they are out of the church For the thing wherein catholicks and the Donatists were at agreement was that hereticks were out of the church and the thing where about they disagreed was that the Donatists held that Baptisme could not be out of the church and consequently that heretickes could not haue it And catholicks contrariwise maintained that Baptisme might to be out of the church and consequently that hereticks though they were out of the church left not to haue it The Church saith sainct AVGVSTINE compared to Paradise teacheth vs that Baptisme may be had without her but the Saluation of the beatitude none can receaue or haue out of her for the floods of the fountaine of Paradise rann abouudantlie forth of it And in the Booke following What is saith hee this doctrine that an heretick is pretended to haue noe baptisme because he hath noe Church And againe It is a wonder that there are some that saie that baptisme and the Church cannot be separated and deuided the one from the other And elsewhere But of the Church and against the Church they haue holden the sacraments of Christ and as in a ciuill warr they haue fought bearing our owne Banners against vs. From whence we may discouer the impertinencie of those that conclude that because hereticall Sects haue baptisme therefore they are Churches THE fowrth 〈◊〉 is that sainct HIEROME speaking in the person of the Church saith to Hilarie a Luciferian Deacon I am a harlott but yet I am thy mother I committ adultrie with Arius and I did soe before with Praxeas 〈◊〉 Cerinthus But it shal be heereafter manifested that this is a ridiculous equiuocation by which they attribute that to S. HIEROME as spoken in his owne sence which he spake according to the sence of his aduersary that is to saie according to the sence of the hereticke against whom he disputeth For to this that some add that a lying man leaues to be trulie a man although he be not a true